Sheet feeding mechanism



Oct. 11, 1932.

C. L. POST SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 29, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 6/7067? Z 57" Ciazwlel. F052 Oct. 11, 1932. c. L. POST SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 29, 1928' 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 11, 1932. c. L. POST SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 29; 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Oct. 11, 1932- (Ii "U D sl m SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM I Application filed August 29, 1928.: Serial No. 302,832.

*My invention relates to sheet feeding mechanismand has among its objects the production of mechanism of the kind described, Which is convenient, durable, efii cient and satisfactory for use Wherever found applicable. 4 v V My invention relates to the same general type of feeding devices as that forming the subject: matter ofmy copending application,

" Serial'No. 92631, filed March 5, 1926.

A particular object of the invention is to provide improved mechanism for feeding sheets of paper, envelopes, or the equivalent, to printing devices, embossing machines, fold- 1 ing machines, etc.

Another particular object of the invention is to provide improved mechanism adapted to feedsheets of various thicknesses Without adjustment therefor.

= w Still another particular object of theinvention is to provideimproved sheet feeding mechanism adapted to feed relatively thin stock Without injury thereto.

- A particular object of the'present inven :5 tion is to provide means whereby the feed of envelopes -'or the like may be so regulated that theytvill not pile up and jam the feeding mechanism, but Will be delivered in a steady and frequent stream.

A further object isto provide such a de-. vice in Which the supply of stock from'a reservoir is automatically controlled by the stock being fed. A

A still further object is to provide such a 2 devicein Which the feeding mechanism is so controlled that the feeding devices are brought gently into contact With the stock, avoiding injury thereto; i i r A still further object is to provide feed- 40 control mechanism which is adjustable according to the idth of the stock to be fed;

Many other objectsand advantages of the construction hereinshovvn and described Will be obvious. to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein given.

To this endmy invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combinationofparts herein shown and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring noW- to the drawings forming part of the specificationz Fig. 1 is a plan view of a device embodying my invention; I

Fig.2 is a fragmentary sideelevation "of 'thedevic'e shown inFig. 1;" y p r Fig. 3 1s a sectionalview taken on line 33 of Fig. 1; and 5 i x r Fig.4 is a fragmentary detail elevation of a portion of a device embodying my invention. A preferred embodiment ofmy invention is shown in the drawings, wherein the reference character 20 designates generally a frame for the improved feeding mechanism,

' adapted to feed envelopes, sheets o'fpaper, or

the liketo a printing machine, embossing machine,Wra-pping machine, folding machine,

or any other type of machine adapted to use sheets or envelopes.

.. In the present instance, the printing machine isindicated generally at 22and Will'not furtherbe described, inasmuch as itmaybe of any suitable type.

CLAUDE L. POST, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS A sprocket chain carried by a'" sprocket 24 mounted on a shaft 25 transmitsmotion j from the printing machine to the feedingjde vice. Any suitable means (not shown). is provided for driving the shaft-25, which may carry a pinion 26. Suitablefeed rolls (best seen in Fig. 3 anddescribed below) are provided foradvancin device. n i V i The pinion 26 meshes with a train of pinions '27 and 28 which transmit the motion 5;; the stockto the printing from the shaft. 25 to acshaft29 on'vvhich is a i mesh Withsprockets 4-9 'rotatably journaled Pinned to'the shaft 25 are sprockets 47 mesh- V ing' with sprocket chains 48, Which'chains also upon a. stationary bearing 50, mountedin the frame 20 this hearing. rotatablycarrying collars (not shown) for positioning thesprockets. Interposed between the sprocket chains 48 and arranged to travel therewith are pins 53 whichcarryfeeding devices, which 'feeding devices comprise bent bars 55 having hubs rotatably journa ledupon one of the pins 53. Interposed. between each pair of bent bars are disks 59 rotatably journaled upon a pin 60 mounted injthebars, and secured tothe bars at their free ends is a friction member 64 formed of any suitable material having a high coefiicient of friction and mounted in" a suitable housing member 63. I preferably form the friction members 64 from'sponge rubber or the equivalent and they are retained gagement therewith.

As will be clearly seen in Fig. 2, the bearin the housin member 63 by frictional ening 50 is adjustabl-y secured by means of a set screw in the frame 20 in order that the tension on the sprocket chain 48 may be adjusted as desired. Integral with the frame '20 is a' pair of arms 91 carrying a crossbar 89 (Fig. 1) which'su pports an arcuate guard member 92. Pivoted to this arcuate member at 93, and forming a continuation there-of, is an arcuate member, 94 having a counterpoise 95 slidably mountedon'a. rod96.. Dogs 97 .on themember 94 limit the upward displacement thereof when the member 94 is elevated.

by the.c0unterpoise 95 or by other means.

' It will be readily apparent that the lower edge of the member 94 is normally disposed slightly above the table 69.

and by a shaft 107 is a conveyor 107, which serves to advance articles from a table or magazine to the feeding device. 7

As will be clearly seenin Figs. 2 and 4, the

I pawl106 is normally retained by means of a the path of the roller 117.

: notch 114in the pawl.

leaf spring 110, this spring being adjustably secured to a projecting portion 111 of thelever 103; andoscillating therewith. The

leaf spring 110 [has a bent portion 113 adj acent oneend which is adapted to engage a Mounted on a stud shaft 116 integral with the pawl 106 (best seen in Fig. 1) is a rollerv 117 and projecting from the opposite side of the pawl is a lug 119. A cam .120 is secured to the frame 20 in A shaft 122 extends transversely of the frame 20 and has adjustably secured thereto by means of a set screw 123, a crank 124 disposed in the path of'one of the disks 59, al-

though shown in Fig. 1 in the path of the cen ter disk. This crank may be adjusted toward the right (Fig. 3) for feeding comparatively thin stock or glazed stock and toward the left Y crank 101, the pitman 102 and the lever 103 will be reciprocated. So long as'the slots 70 are covered with sheets or other articles,-this reciprocation will result in lostmotion, inasmuch as the disks 59 will ride over thesheets until they have passed thecrank 124,and will thus remain out of engagement with the crank. When the disks drop through the slots, the friction pads 64 engage the edge of the foremost sheet and'advance it to thefeeding rollers. lVhen, however, the slots are unv covered by reason of thefa-ct that sheets or other articles have discontinued being advancedfrom the table or'magazine, the disks 59-will drop through the slots inadvance of the crank 124 and will engage the crank, depressing it and thus rotating the shaft122.

This will depress the lever 125which will engage with thelug 119, thus'moving the pawl 106' downwardly,the notch 114 being moved out of engagementwith the leaf spring 110. Tooth 108 of the, pawl will thusfallinto engagement with theratchet Wheel 109 and the reciprocating motion of'the lever 103 will thus be transmittedto the ratchet wheel and thence to the. conveyor 107. is limited by means of the cam1120v whichwill engage roller 1170f the pawl 106 toward the end of its stroke,lifting it out of engagement with the ratchet teeth. By this means thebringing forward of articles by'the conveyor 107 will be limited to the amountde sired. Obviously, when the; pawl 106 is This motion 0 lifted by the cam,*the notch 114,will again engage the leaf spring 110 and the pawl will thus again be retained. 1

It is also readily apparent that the arcuate member 92 will serve to guide the feed members 64 as they pass around the ratchet wheel 49, restraining their outward centrifugal throw and thus preventing undue jarring and injury of 'these feed members. By this means, likewise, the feed members are brought gently-down onthe' stoclnthus avoiding'injury to the sheets which might result from an unrestrained throw of these members onto the stock. Obviously, the counterweight 95 may be adjusted in order that the desired space be providedbetween the members 94 and the table. It is also readily apparent that counterpoise 126 will serve to retain the lever 125 out ofengagement with the pawl106.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various immaterial modfications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of my invention; hence I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described, or uses mentioned.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a feeding device, a table for carrying a plurality of articles, non-reciprocating means disposed above the articles and movable relative thereto, article-advancing means mounted on said means and rotatable relative thereto, and means adjacent one-end of said non-reciprocating means for limiting the rotary movement of said article-advancing means at this point.

2. In a feeding device, a table for carrying a plurality of articles, sprocket wheels rotatably mounted above said table, a sprocket chain carried thereby, article-advancing membersmounted on said sprocket chain and rotatable on an axis parallel to that .of said sprocket wheels, and means adjacent one of said sprocket wheels for limit-V ing the centrifugal throw of saidadvancing members. 7

3. In a feeding device, a table for carrying a plurality of articles, sprocket wheels rotatably mounted above said table, a-

sprocket chain carried thereby, article-advancing members mounted on said sprocket chain and rotatable on an axis parallel to that of said sprocket'wheels, and an arcuate member adjacent one of said sprocket wheels for limiting the centrifugal throw of said advancing members.

4. In a feeding device, a table for carrying a plurality of articles, sprocket wheels rotatably mounted above said table, a

sprocket chain carried thereby, article-ad vancmg members mounted on said sprocket chain and rotatable on ZJI'ELXlS parallel to that'of said sprocket wheels, an arcuate member adjacent one of said sprocket wheels for limiting the centrifugal throw of said advancing members, the lower portion of said arcuate member being pivotally movable relative to the main portion of said member, and means counterbalancing said pivoted portion.

5. In a feeding device, a table for carrying a plurality of articles, sprocket wheels rotatably mounted above said table, a sprocket chain carried thereby, article-advancing members mounted on said sprocket chain and rotatable on an axis parallel to that of said sprocket wheels, an arcuate member adjacent one of said sprocket wheels for limiting the centrifugal throw of said advancing members, the lower portion of said arcuate member being pivotally movable relative to the main portion of said member, means adj ustably=counterbalancing the upward movement ,6.-Sheet feedingmechanism comprising a table for holding sheets, a feeding mechanism including a carriage having a roller .and a paper engaging memberfor advancing sheets oneat a time on 'said table, means for advancing sheets tosaid feeding mechanism, reciprocating means foractuating said advancing means, means operable by said roller of said feeding mechanism for rendering said reciprocating means effective, and means for limiting theelfective movement of said reciprocatingmeans. '1'

'7. Sheet feeding mechanism -.comprising an apertured" table for holding sheets, a feeding mechanism for advancing sheets" one at ofsaid pivoted P0 a time on said table, means for advancing;

lation with the apertures of saidtable and ,depressible within the aperturesof sa-id table when'in said relation forrendering intermittent means 'efiective, and cammeans for limiting the effective movementof said intermittent, means. 7

" '9. Sheet feeding mechanism, comprising an apertured table forholding sheets, a feeding' mechanism for advancing sheets one at said-pivoted portion, and means for limiting v a time on said table, means for'advanc'ing sheets to said feeding mechanism, means for intermittently actuating said advancing means, a reciprocating member for intermittently actuating. said advancing means, a pivoted member carried by said reciprocating member and adapted to engage said advancing means for transmitting the motion of said recipricating member thereto, means for normally maintaining said pivoted men, her out of engagement withsaid advancing means, a member associated with said feed-I ing mechanism and ,depressiblewithin the apertures of said table for causing said pivoted member to operatively engage said advancing means, and cam means for limiting the efiective movement of sald pivoted mem-,

ber.

10. In a feeding device, a table for carrying a plurality of articles an endless elementlocated above the table and operable along said table, article advancing means carried by said element and means located at one. end of said endle'ss'element for presenting said-article advancing means to the table.

11. In a feeding device, a table for carrying a plurality of articles, means for conveying an article along the table, said conv'ey- .ing means including an element having means for engaging anarticle, a track for supporting saidelement, said track terminating adjacent the tableand providing means for presenting the article engaging means to the articles carried by the table. 7 12. In a feeding device, a table for carrying a plurality of articles,'means for conveying an article alongthe table, and means for advancing an article to the conveylng means, said conveying means including an element having means for engaging an article, a trackjfor supporting said element, said'track terminating adjacent the table and providing means for presenting the article engaging means to the articles carried by the table, said conveying means providing an element of means for actuating said article advancing means.

13. In a feeding device, a table for carryinga plurality of articles, means for conveying an article along the table, and means for advancingan article to the conveying means, said conveying means including an element having means for engaging an article, atrack for supporting said element,

said track terminating adjacent the table and providing means for presenting the article engaginglmeans to the articles carriedby the table, said conveying means providing an element of means foractuating said article advancing means, and including a yield able element located adjacent said table.

In testimony signedmy name.

CLAUDE L. POST.

whereof, I have hereunto- 

